EED409: Child Development the Primary Years

Assessment 2 

Task 

This assessment draws on research and original data to consider the application of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development in the educational environment. The assessment is made up of several components and will be presented as a single.

Research Report.

• Part 1 - involves the gathering of original data from two case study participants, based on a series of tasks designed to test Piagetian principles. The data will be gathered by watching two of the three case study children provided for Assessment One, one of whom must be

“Daniel”

• Part 2 - involves analysing each task and the children’s responses from a Piagetian perspective.
• Part 3 – involves developing a research report that draws on the set readings and your results to consider the application of Piaget’s theory in educational practice.

This assessment allows you to engage deeply with an important theory of learning and development and to critically consider the application of a theoretical framework to educational practice.

This booklet will describe each step of the assessment, including details of how to construct the final report. By following the steps in the book you will be able to prepare for, and complete, the requirements for each part of the assessment and construct the final submission – a Research Report.

Part 1: Data Gathering

You will need to view the videos of two of the case study children provided for the assessment on our interact site. One of these children must be “Daniel”. You will need to view these videos several times as you gather the data for the different parts of the assessment.

Complete the data sheets attached to this assessment booklet for each of the two selected children. You should record details of the children (age, school grade, sex). For each of the tasks note the children’s answers and any rationale they have on how they arrived at this particular solution where given. Also keep notes on any observations you make of the children as they complete the tasks that you think are relevant in considering their answers. 

A description of each task is included in this booklet to assist you with your observations of the videos. Note that some of the activities are in different orders to those on the sheets, so make sure you complete the correct observations for the tasks. You must attach a copy of your data sheet as an appendix to the assessment.

Part 2: Analysing each task and the children’s responses from a Piagetian perspective

The analyses will predominantly be based on a careful reading of the Berk (2013) reading in particular.

In this part of the assessment you will analyse what each task tests and the cognitive processes and stages of development indicated by full/ correct completion of the task. You will then analyse the children’s responses to the task identifying the Piagetian processes and stage of development indicated by their answers. 

These descriptions and analyses will be written as a summary like that above in the “Results” section of the final report. The table structure suggested in Appendix 2 might be useful to help your analyses, though you do not need to use this structure.

At the end of this section of the report you will provide an overall summary of your analysis of each child’s responses in terms of the processes and stages of Piaget’s theory.

Part 3 – Research Report

In this section you will be drawing on your readings and the results of your analysis of the case study children’s responses to develop a discussion of the application of Piaget’s theory to educational practice. The requirements for this section are detailed in the following section “Constructing your Final Report”. 

Constructing the first parts of the paper up to the Discussion will help you in writing the Discussion section.

Constructing your Final Report

The final research report will include the following sections. These sections form the basis of the marking rubric for this assessment task.

Title Page and Abstract 

Include a title page with a title for the assessment; the subject code and name; your name and student number and an abstract describing both parts of the assessment.

Introduction

Include an introduction in order to let the reader know what the report is about. Your introduction should introduce the framing of the assessment within Piagetian theory, purposes of the assessment and an overview of Piagetian processes and stage of development. Areas to be addressed within the assessment should be “signposted” in the introduction.

Method

In this section you will describe the data gathering and analyses process. This should be written as though you were the researcher working with the participants. You should include:

• Participant information,
• Material used, and 
• Procedures

Results 

The writing of this section is described earlier in the section “Analysing each task and the children’s responses from a Piagetian perspective”.

Summary of Assessment Requirements

Assessment 2 focused on applying Piaget’s theory of cognitive development in an educational context through a structured research report. The task had three main components:

1. Part 1 – Data Gathering

   • Observe and collect data from two case study children (including Daniel).
   • Record their responses to Piagetian tasks, rationale, and behavioral observations.
   • Document findings in data sheets (to be included as an appendix).

2. Part 2 – Analysis

   • Analyse each task and the children’s responses using Piagetian principles.
   • Identify cognitive processes and stages of development (e.g., preoperational, concrete operational).
   • Provide a summary of each child’s overall developmental stage.

3. Part 3 – Research Report

   • Compile findings into a structured research report.
   • Sections included: Title page & abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion.
   • Discussion required integration of readings (e.g., Berk, 2013) and practical insights on how Piaget’s theory informs educational practice.

Key expectations: demonstrate critical understanding of Piaget’s stages, accurately analyse children’s behavior, and link theoretical knowledge with real-world educational applications.

Mentor’s Step-by-Step Guidance

Step 1: Understanding the Task

The mentor first explained the purpose of the assessment to not only apply Piaget’s theory but also to practice constructing a professional research report. The student was encouraged to carefully study the assessment booklet and Berk’s reading before starting.

Step 2: Data Gathering

• The mentor guided the student to watch the videos multiple times for accuracy.
• They demonstrated how to use the data sheets systematically, recording children’s ages, grades, and task responses.
• The mentor emphasized noting not just what the child answered but also how they reasoned, since rationale reflects cognitive stage.

Step 3: Task Analysis

• For each Piagetian task, the mentor helped the student map the purpose of the task (e.g., conservation, classification, seriation).
• They then linked the child’s performance to the appropriate Piagetian stage, showing how correct/incorrect responses indicate developmental progression.
• A comparison table was suggested to organize responses before writing the Results section.

Step 4: Structuring the Report

• The mentor walked the student through the report structure:
  • Introduction: introduce Piaget, purpose of the study, and outline sections.
  • Method: describe participants (Daniel + one other), tasks, and data collection procedure.
  • Results: summarize findings and interpretations task by task.
  • Discussion: link results to theory and highlight educational implications.
• The mentor stressed writing in a clear, objective, and research-oriented tone.

Step 5: Critical Application in Discussion

• In the Discussion, the mentor guided the student to connect their findings with practical teaching strategies, such as designing age-appropriate learning tasks and recognizing the limits of children’s reasoning at different stages.

• Both strengths and limitations of Piaget’s theory (e.g., underestimating abilities of younger children) were encouraged to be included.

Final Outcome & Learning Objectives Achieved

Through this process, the student produced a structured research report that:

• Demonstrated accurate data gathering and documentation.
• Analysed children’s cognitive development in alignment with Piagetian stages.
• Applied theoretical insights to educational practice in a meaningful way.

Learning Objectives Covered:

• Understanding and applying Piaget’s theory to real-world educational settings.
• Developing research and observational skills in child development studies.
• Practicing academic writing and structuring a formal research report.
• Critically evaluating theory in light of practical evidence.
• Linking child development principles with effective teaching strategies.

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